diff --git a/dotCMS/src/main/java/com/dotmarketing/portlets/contentlet/action/ImportContentletsAction.java b/dotCMS/src/main/java/com/dotmarketing/portlets/contentlet/action/ImportContentletsAction.java
index 5516572e96fa..374cc35a86c3 100644
--- a/dotCMS/src/main/java/com/dotmarketing/portlets/contentlet/action/ImportContentletsAction.java
+++ b/dotCMS/src/main/java/com/dotmarketing/portlets/contentlet/action/ImportContentletsAction.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import com.dotmarketing.business.CacheLocator;
 import com.dotmarketing.cache.FieldsCache;
 import com.dotmarketing.db.HibernateUtil;
+import com.dotmarketing.business.DotStateException;
 import com.dotmarketing.exception.DotHibernateException;
 import com.dotmarketing.portal.struts.DotPortletAction;
 import com.dotmarketing.portlets.contentlet.action.ImportAuditUtil.ImportAuditResults;
@@ -376,13 +377,29 @@ private void _downloadCSVTemplate(ActionRequest req, ActionResponse res, Portlet
 		ActionResponseImpl resImpl = (ActionResponseImpl)res;
 		HttpServletResponse httpRes = resImpl.getHttpServletResponse();
 
+		ImportContentletsForm importForm = (ImportContentletsForm) form;
+		if (!UtilMethods.isSet(importForm.getStructure())) {
+			SessionMessages.add(req, ERROR, "structure-type-is-required");
+			setForward(req, PORTLET_EXT_CONTENTLET_IMPORT_CONTENTLETS);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// The fields must be resolved before any download header is committed, otherwise a
+		// failed lookup leaves the response flagged as an attachment with an empty error body
+		final List<Field> fields;
+		try {
+			fields = FieldsCache.getFieldsByStructureInode(importForm.getStructure());
+		} catch (final DotStateException e) {
+			Logger.warn(this, "Unable to generate CSV template: selected Content Type does not exist", e);
+			SessionMessages.add(req, ERROR, "Workflow-does-not-exists-content-type");
+			setForward(req, PORTLET_EXT_CONTENTLET_IMPORT_CONTENTLETS);
+			return;
+		}
+
 		httpRes.setContentType("application/octet-stream");
 		httpRes.setHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=\"CSV_Template.csv\"");
 
 		ServletOutputStream out = httpRes.getOutputStream();
-		ImportContentletsForm importForm = (ImportContentletsForm) form;
-
-		List<Field> fields = FieldsCache.getFieldsByStructureInode(importForm.getStructure());
 		for(int i = 0; i < fields.size(); i++) {
 			Field field = fields.get(i);
 			if (ImportUtil.isImportableField(field)) {
diff --git a/dotCMS/src/main/webapp/html/portlet/ext/contentlet/import_contentlets.jsp b/dotCMS/src/main/webapp/html/portlet/ext/contentlet/import_contentlets.jsp
index 03da207db08f..8b3f44d865ef 100644
--- a/dotCMS/src/main/webapp/html/portlet/ext/contentlet/import_contentlets.jsp
+++ b/dotCMS/src/main/webapp/html/portlet/ext/contentlet/import_contentlets.jsp
@@ -127,6 +127,11 @@
 	}
 
 	function downloadCSVExample() {
+		var structureInode = dijit.byId("structuresSelect").attr('value');
+		if (!structureInode) {
+			showDotCMSSystemMessage('<%= UtilMethods.escapeSingleQuotes(LanguageUtil.get(pageContext, "structure-type-is-required")) %>', true);
+			return;
+		}
 		var href =  '<portlet:actionURL>';
 			href +=		'<portlet:param name="struts_action" value="/ext/contentlet/import_contentlets" />';
 			href +=		'<portlet:param name="cmd" value="downloadCSVTemplate" />';